I have been recording new material, but for about two weeks I hand poured 2000 12" discs for The Flaming Lips collaboration with Prefuse 73 at A&R Record Manufacturing in Dallas. Not a bad gig! Here are some of the highlights...
I first started digging in to The Flying Lizards when Sean Kirkpatrick of The Nervous Curtains gave me a pile of really killer music a while back. I fell in love with several of the jams including this one from their 1981 album "Fourth Wall"... it's been in my head for a long time now, so I just had to make a pass at covering it. I had an idea to get a certain local celebrity to sing it for me, but eh...I didn't feel like dealing with her right now and just sang it myself. This is my first recording made in "The Dome"! Lovers and Other Strangers by New Fumes
Here's the quirkier original:
More on The Flying Lizards: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Lizards
I was thinking that New Fumes should start recording a few cover songs and just give them away as downloads. So, I decided to start with this one by African (Zambian) psych rock legend Chrissy Zebby Tembo called "Feeling Good", from his 1974 album "My Ancestors". I got turned on to this by Chris McGaha of PVC Street Gang who gave me a kick ass compilation of music a while back. This song really appealed to me with its simplicity and kwirk... not to mention it's killer guitar action. I can also really relate to the lyrics these days, so it seems like a perfect place to start. I may have totally messed it up by doing my own version, but it was fun, so oh well. Clay came over and put some more drum tracks on the ones and zeros as I am still trying to work out the best way to record drums at home. Check it out : Feeling Good by New Fumes
I live is this neighborhood near the Dallas zoo. I love living over here! It doesn't seem like Dallas to me, there are hills and trees and the architecture of the houses are really interesting. I think it's the forgotten part of Dallas.. It's kind of a poor neighborhood, but it's beautiful. There are flocks of peacocks and packs of pit bulls roaming free... it's an interesting place.
I started to write this song about this dude in the neighborhood who walks around (sometimes backwards) having arguments with people who just aren't there. He's yelling at someone that seems to be following him around, but it's clearly in his head. Sometimes I can't stop thinking about him, I want to help, but what can I do? My other neighbors tell me to just ignore him and don't make eye contact, but this seems like part of the problem- no one will talk to him or even acknowledge that he is there.
He is a really big dude that looks like a cross between Mike Tyson and Forest Whitaker. He doesn't seem to cause much harm, other than random piles of broken rocks in front of peoples' houses, in the street. Therefore, the police won't do anything about him.. so , he's just part of the charm of the hood. I suspect he is the one that left the dirty Scooby Doo underwear in my yard.
Anyway, here is a song I am writing about him, this is the first mix, you can hear an actual recording of him yelling in the distance if you listen closely: Invisible Someone *test 02/13/11* by New Fumes
Clay Stinnett came over and laid some sweet traps on this one. He is a freak of nature. I'm learning to record drums. I have two microphones.
That Flaming Lips show was a Blast! And that snow! Crazy! That morning and the previous afternoon, for me, was spent at the record plant putting colored vinyl chips and beads into the vinyl pressing machine. I could have spent all day doing that! It was so fun to experiment. I came out with some interesting results, i think. The first 100 copies of the LP come with a CD of the music as well. I just want to say that I have much love, respect and appreciation for Wayne Coyne and the Flaming Lips organization as well as Tim Delaughter and the Good Records organization... they have helped me so much and been so encouraging. Good and Funny people.. i love em! You can purchase the LP here:
And we made 100 of these in these colors of the 12" vinyl covers. We plan on having Yellow vinyl. The first 100 of 500 will have a CD of the music in there with the record.. We hope to have all this available at the Flaming Lips show on Feb.3
Good friends at Good Records Recordings are putting my record out on Vinyl by February 3, 2011. It will be ltd to 500 copies with colored vinyl, so reserve your copy from them today. Nevada Hill is screen printing the covers that will look something like this: Big things coming from Good Records in 2011, Mark my words.
Sometimes I get into a flow and write two songs as if it were one. I tend to look at it like an A and a B side of a single together as one track. Silly? Maybe. Here's one i have been sitting on for a while. Sally Glass, Regina Chellew and Jennifer Billings were very kind in lending their voices to the second part of this one ( same group as heard on "Light is Light") Have a listen! Your Style Won't Save You Now/ Your Smile is a Bomb Song by New Fumes
So excited about this! Not only that i get to play my music at an Octopus project show, but that i get to see them perform "Hexadecagon". Thursday, November 18, 2010 at Southside Music Hall. This should be very special. check this out:
There are only a few cassette tapes left and even fewer T-shirts. A few of each can be found at Good Records in Dallas. I have a couple of shows lined up for you, when all the details get ironed out, i will let you know. Keep your eyes peeled here for the next couple of days. it should be exciting if everything works out the way i hope. In the mean time, enjoy this track from my cassette album,"Bump and Assassination". The track is called "Superglue, You can Join Our Band". Superglue, You Can Join Our Band by New Fumes
I always loved that song "Techno Love Song" and was just thinking to myself the other day how i would like to meet CoCo Rosie. Then BAM, i just found out today i get to open for them! SleepWhale is on the bill as well! September 29, 2010 at Granada Theatre
From The Nightmare. July 9, 2010 Sally also sang on this song along with Regina Chellew, Jennifer Billings and myself. Light is Light! Light is Light (test) by New Fumes
I'm playing at the Cavern Tonight Aug. 19, 2010. The line up is New Fumes, Yells At Eels, Blixaboy. Yells at Eels aka Added Pizzaz (ARiel Pink collaborators) will make beautiful jazz. Blixboy aka Wanz Dover will make beautiful a dubstep shoegaze combination. I play first , that's 9:45- 10:00 start time. this is going to be a good show. I have cassettes!
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